Arundo plant named ‘Oriental Gold’

ABSTRACT

Arundo formosana  ‘Oriental Gold’, is a new and unique cultivar that is characterized by its variegated foliage of yellow-green to creamy yellow with green stripes, its clump-forming, bushy habit and usefulness in container plantings .

Botanical classification: Arundo formosana.

Varietal designation: ‘Oriental Gold’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Arundo formosana and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Oriental Gold’. ‘Oriental Gold’ represents a new cultivar of Tiawan grass, an ornamental grass grown for landscape use.

The inventor discovered and selected the new cultivar, ‘Oriental Gold’, in a cultivated garden in Cedar Lake, Ind. in 1994. ‘Oriental Gold’ was discovered as a naturally occurring cane sport of Arundo formosana. Initially, a small cane sport was discovered that was green with a small yellow stripe and subsequent cane cuttings were performed and re-selected until the new cultivar was selected with foliage that was consistently variegated with foliage that was predominately yellow-green to creamy yellow in color with deeper colored green stripes. The leaf variegation pattern of ‘Oriental Gold’ is unique and unlike any other known cultivars of Arundo formosana known to the inventor.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by cane cuttings in Cedar Lake, Ind. in 1995 by the inventor. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. The new Arundo has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in temperature, day-length, light intensity, soil types, and water and fertility levels without, however, any variance in genotype. The measurements, observations, and descriptions that follow describe plants grown outdoors for two years from a single cane division in Cedar Lake, Ind. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘Oriental Gold’ from any selections of Arundo known to the inventor.

-   -   1. The foliage of ‘Oriental Gold’ is variegated with         yellow-green to creamy yellow foliage with green stripes.         Horticulturally, ‘Oriental Gold’ would be considered to have         gold and green variegated foliage.     -   2. The growth habit of ‘Oriental Gold’ is clump-forming with a         fountain-shaped bushy appearance similar to Bamboo but is less         invasive than Bamboos and Arundo donax; a taller, more robust         species.     -   3. ‘Oriental Gold’ reaches about 1.8 to 2 m (6 to 7 ft) in         height with a spread of 1.8 to 2.7 m (6 to 9 ft) in 3 years when         planted from a one gallon container.     -   4. The clump-forming growth habit, bushy habit, and cascading         foliage making it useful for container use.     -   5. Blooms in late fall or winter in response to short days with         inflorescences composed of panicles of slender, airy racemes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new Arundo. The plants used for the photographs are 1 year-old plants as grown in two-gallon containers from 5 cm cane divisions of ‘Oriental Gold’.

The photograph in FIG. One illustrates the branching habit of ‘Oriental Gold’ in early fall.

The photograph in FIG. Two is a close-up view of the foliage and depicts the growth habit in early summer.

FIG. Three is photograph of the inflorescence in late winter under greenhouse conditions.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the digital photography techniques available, the color values cited in the detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of the new Arundo.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as grown in an outdoor trial bed for two years from a cane division in Cedar Lake, Ind. The color determination is in accordance with the 2001 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: ‘Oriental Gold’ is a cultivar of Arundo     formosana. -   Commercial classification: Oriental Gold Tiawan grass. -   Parentage: Naturally occurring cane sport of Arundo formosana. -   General description:     -   -   Blooming habit.—Blooms in late fall or in winter in response             to short days.         -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous, clump-forming, ornamental grass             with a fountain-like form and pendant foliage. Initial             growth is un-branched until mature height is reached in late             summer, branching at all cane nodes subsequently occurs to             create a bushy habit.         -   Height and spread.—1.8 to 2 m (6 to 7 ft) in height with a             spread of 1.8 to 2.7 m (6 to 9 ft) in 3 years when planted             from a one gallon container. Moderate vigor.         -   Hardiness.—Zone 6 to 11.         -   Culture.—Coloration and Growth is best when grown in moist             soil in full sun.         -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to             diseases or pests that affect Arundo has been observed.         -   Root description.—Short, knotty rhizomes with fibrous roots. -   Growth and propagation:     -   -   Propagation.—Tissue culture and cane cuttings, canes from             immature or mature shoots. 8 mm to 1.25 cm in diameter are             stripped of foliage and allowed to float in aerated water             kept at 75 to 80° F.         -   Time required for root initiation.—7 to 14 days to emerge             and 21 to 28 days until cuttings can be taken.         -   Time required for root development.—Rooted cane cuttings             will fully develop in a one quart container in 30 to 40 days             when grown outdoors at night temperatures between 65 to             80° F. Night temperatures below 65° F. result in slower             growth. -   Culm (stem) description:     -   -   General.—Round, sheathed, pithy when young and hollow when             mature.         -   Culm color.—144B on new growth, becoming woody in appearance             when mature with color ranging from greyed-orange 164C to             grey-brown 199C.         -   Culm size.—About 8 mm in diameter on young culms and             secondary branches, mature canes reaching up to 1.25 cm in             diameter and up to about 2 m in length.         -   Stem surface.—Glabrous.         -   Internode length.—About 0.5 to 2.0 cm on young growth and             side branches, up to about 7 cm on mature canes.         -   Ligule.—Membranous area, surrounds leaf blade, 0.5 mm in             height and 145d in color with very fine white hairs, not             prominent.         -   Branching.—Multiple branches arise from rhizome then expand             un-branched until mature height is reached, 3 to 5 branches             then emerge from each node followed by secondary branching             resulting in a witches broom effect. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Linear, widest at base through the mid-point             then narrowing to a point at apex.         -   Leaf division.—Simple.         -   Leaf base.—Sheathed.         -   Leaf apex.—Acute.         -   Leaf aspect.—Leaves are held at an angle of 30° to the culm,             then Pendant, leaves are primarily flat or slightly             involute.         -   Leaf venation.—Parallel, the midrib is raised on the lower             surface, not prominent or conspicuous, color matches leaf             color.         -   Leaf margins.—Entire, with sharp short bristles that are not             visually noticeable.         -   Leaf persistance.—Dry to a tan color, 164D, but remain are             persistent through winter.         -   Leaf attachment.—Sheathed. Leaf is sheathed from the base of             culm and the leaf blade extends out from the culm at the             ligule. Sheath entirely surrounds culm.         -   Leaf size.—0.4 to 1 cm at base and up to the midpoint, then             tapering to a point at the apex, ranges from about 14 to 21             cm in length.         -   Leaf number.—Primary stems: about 20 to 30 until full height             is reached and side branching occurs; side branches:             typically about 8 to 15.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Leaf surface.—Glabrous on upper and lower surface with             bristles on margins.         -   Leaf color.—Upper and lower leaves exhibit the same             coloration, new leaves; base of yellow green 151A with             greener stripes 144A and 141B (both present), mature leaves;             base of yellow 1D with green stripes 137B, 139B, and 139C             (typically all three green colored stripes are present).             Stripes vary in width from 0.5 to 4 mm are cover about 50%             of the leaf on both new and mature leaves. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   General description.—Feathery, airy panicle composed of             numerous, slender racemes that emerge from the nodes of             rachis in tufts. Racemes arch to one side, occasionally             branch and are composed of single spikelets arranged in an             alternate pattern. No reproductive organs were observed.         -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—Persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Panicle size.—Approximately 35 cm in length and up to 2.5 cm             in width.         -   Panicle color.—Emerge green (effectively 137D) tinted with             purple on terminal spikelets (N77), changing to purple             (effectively N77C) and maturing to a silvery purple due to             the presence of numerous hairs (combintion of N77C and             155C).         -   Rachis size.—Up to about 30 cm in length, continuous with             culm, 1 to 2 mm in diameter, branches emerging from rachis             reach up to 14 cm in length and less than 1 mm in diameter.         -   Rachis and rachilla color.—137C.         -   Raceme number.—About 40 with 1 to 6 racemes emerging from             each node.         -   Spikelet description.—One spikelet on a short rachilla             arranged in an alternate pattern. Composed to two florets             surrounded by a 2 glumes. Florets are enclosed by the a             lemma and palea and the reproductive parts appears to be             reduced.         -   Spikelet rachilla.—Very fine, about 2 to 4 mm in length,             137C in color.         -   Spikelet bud.—About 8 mm in length and 1 mm in width, 144D             in color.         -   Spikelet size.—About 9 mm in length and 3 mm in width.         -   Spikelet color.—Lemma and palea N144D surrounded by glumes             N77C.         -   Glumes.—Nearly equal in size, 6 to 8 mm in length and about             0.5 mm in width, lanceolate in shape, awn-less, hyaline with             shadings of purple (N77C).         -   Lemma and palae.—Appeared in both lower and upper floret, 4             mm in length, 0.5 mm in width, translucent in appearance and             effectively N144D in color, numerous very fine hair-like             bristles are present.         -   Reproductive organs.—Appeared reduced to leaf-like             structures or not distinct enough to describe.         -   Seed.—No seed development has been observed. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Arundo plant named ‘Oriental Gold’ as herein illustrated and described. 